Mobile telephones and similar communication devices are rapidly expanding in use and function. Such devices will soon provide Internet access, personal information management, facsimile, messaging, in addition to telephone communication. To accomplish this there is a need to provide keyboards compatible with the more complex applications to which the mobile device will be adapted. Full function keyboards, such as the standard QWERTY typing array of keys and buttons, are difficult to provide while maintaining the compact size required in the mobile device. Such devices on the market today are cumbersome and often require a separate belt pouch for carrying the mobile device on the person of the user. In addition it is necessary to coordinate on screen displays for adaptation to the variety of functions.
It is a purpose of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive means of providing a full function keyboard to accommodate the burgeoning applications to which a mobile communication device is adapted.
A mobile communication device is constructed having a body in which is mounted a viewing screen for displaying user interface communications. A first panel is fixed to the body and includes one half of a full function keyboard and a back cover. A second panel is pivotally mounted on the body for rotation between two positions, namely, a closed position and an open position. The second panel is constructed with inner and outer surfaces located on opposite sides of the panel which are positioned such that the inner surface faces the keyboard of the first panel and the outer surface is exposed in the closed position. In the open position, the second panel is pivoted approximately 180xc2x0 so that the outer surface faces away from the user of the mobile device while the inner surface is exposed.
To enable the device to be operated as a communication device a communication keypad is constructed in the outer surface of the second panel. To provide the second half of the full function keyboard, the inner surface contains a keyboard which is operatively associated with the keyboard of the first panel in the open position. The screen remains exposed in each position of the second panel. The display which appears on the screen is oriented in a manner consistent with the position of panels.